California Briefing / Los Angeles

City attorney targets carwashes

Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo filed criminal charges against the owners and a manager of four Los Angeles carwashes, accusing them of failure to pay proper wages or allow breaks.

Delgadillo also charged the manager with brandishing a club and machete to threaten workers attempting to organize a union.

Owners Benny and Nissan Pirian and manager Manuel Reyes were charged with 172 counts of violating criminal and labor laws for their treatment of workers at Hollywood Five Star Car Wash in Northridge, Vermont Hand Wash in Los Feliz and Celebrity Car Wash and Hollywood Car Wash in Hollywood.

The workers were paid a flat rate of $35 to $40 a day, violating minimum wage laws, prosecutors said. Some worked for tips alone. The city attorney's office did not name the workers in the suit.